It’s been steady going for Caymanian footballer Joshewa Frederick-Charlery, since his return to Finland in July to play professional football.
Frederick-Charlery, signed a mid-season two-month contract with Kajaanin Haka, which plays in the fifth tier Finnish league, Kolmonen Pohjoinen, after being sidelined with an injury for nearly a year.
Since that signing, he has played five full games, amassed several assists and even earned man of the match – something he told the Compass he is grateful for.
“It’s been good playing at a competitive level again since my injury in November when I broke my knee in three places,” he said, adding it had been a tough road to recovery.
Kajaanin Haka isn’t the first team in Finland that Frederick-Charlery has played for. In 2021, he became the first player from the Cayman Islands to sign with a Finnish club, when he played for Oulun Työväen Palloilijat United.
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In 2022, he signed with his second pro club – Club Sportiv Tunari in Romania. He went on hiatus after his contract ran out and opted to give back to football in his country, motivating kids and marking fields, in addition to playing international matches.
Now, he is getting back on form with a team and a country he has learned to appreciate.
“This has gotten my confidence back to be where I once was,” he said. “I’m the only Caymanian to play in Finland and I take pride in that. What helps too, is that Finland is a country I’m used to.
“I like the club that I am at, they act like a family unit, the president has been welcoming. I don’t feel like an outsider, we are a close-knit team. It’s not perfect but it’s been a pleasure.”
Trailblazing
He noted that his journey has been filled with ups and downs in the sport, but he continues to persevere, chasing his goals of being known as one of the best Caymanian footballers ever, and encourages all those behind him to do the same.
“Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something,” Frederick-Charlery said. “I didn’t think that I could sign a pro contract, and I’ve signed three.
“I want to shout out my fellow countrymen for also being trailblazers in a such a hard sport to break through in. Guys like Jacobbi [Tugman], Elijah [Seymour], Gunnar [Studenhofft], Trey [Ebanks], Leighton [Thomas Jr.] and Kareem Foster, all of which plays or played professional.”
He also credited his family for their support in getting him to Finland and hopes that he will resign with Kajaanin Haka for the next season.
In addition, Frederick-Charlery also hopes to return to national duty in the World Cup qualifiers, where his talents will be needed against Bermuda and heavyweights Honduras.
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